Secrets, Secrets are No Fun
by fangsandvampirates
Summary: Accidentally throwing Scott down the stairs wasn't the only reason that Rafael McCall left Beacon Hills. There was another reason: the reason he and Melissa were arguing that dreadful day. And that reason just arrived in Beacon Hills. (post 3B. Part One of the "The Alpha Without a Pack" series) (Title edited - 9/7/14)
1. Chapter 1

Stiles loves—and hates—to get called out of school. He loves it because, well, who doesn't? But he hates it because that means something's wrong. And it's especially worse when it's his father who's calling him out of class.

He was having such a good day, too. And it was all about to be spoiled by what was waiting for him at the Sheriff's station.

Stiles pulled his beloved Jeep into the parking lot, his heart pounding. The school hadn't told him _why_ the Sheriff pulled him out of school. He didn't know if it was actually his dad who had called or if it was Deputy Parish or if it was someone else at the Station.

However, when he entered the Station, he was met with the sight of his father talking with a blonde who looked to be about Stiles' age. That sight was okay, but the few bags of luggage at the girl's feet increased Stiles' heartbeat a little.

That's when the Sheriff noticed his son. "Ah, Stiles. You're here."

Stiles waved his hand, completely unsure of what was going on. And he voiced his concern. "Who's that?"

The blonde finally turned around, staring at Stiles with her hard blue eyes.

"Stiles, this is Annie," the Sheriff said. "She's going to be living with us for a while."

Stiles blinked. Was his father really saying what he thought he was saying? How could his father, the _Sheriff of the werewolf-supernaturally-infested Beacon Hills_, take in some normal teenager? Didn't he know the danger of that?

"Stiles?" Apparently the teen had been silent too long. His father and the girl, _Annie_, were looking at him expectantly.

"Dad? Can I, um…talk to you? Privately?" Stiles didn't give his dad time to answer, though. He grabbed the Sheriff's arm and dragged him into his father's office. "What the hell are you thinking?" he hissed once the door was closed.

The Sheriff rolled his eyes at his son. "It's a nice gesture. She has no one. It's either here or in the foster system. Besides, she kind of has your record of sticking her nose into other people's business. I think she'll fit in."

"Yeah, but dad. _Werewolves. Kanima. Banshees. _Does she know about that kind of crap we have to deal with?"

Mr. Stilinski opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a couple small raps on the door.

It opened and Annie's head popped in. "You know I can hear you, right?"

The Stilinski men exchanged glances.

"I wasn't aware we were being that loud," the Sheriff confessed.

"You weren't," she said. "I just have really good hearing."

Then her blue eyes flashed red.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: When picturing Annie, I picture myself, but since you guys don't know what I look like, picture Britt Robertson :)**

Stiles' mouth dropped to the floor. Of course his family would be the lucky enough to take in an Alpha. But wait, if Annie was an Alpha, then…where was her pack? Oh god. Were they going to come later and then kill everyone in their path to get to her? What if her pack wants to take over Beacon Hills and she came to scope out the place to see if it was actually worth taking over?

Didn't she know that there was a dangerous pack already living here? Of course, Scott's pack had completely fallen apart two months ago, but they're slowly building it back up. Scott and Derek had been helping Malia and Kira train, and before he had left, Ethan told them that Danny knew about werewolves. Since then, Stiles had had a research buddy. Especially since "Cousin Miguel" was continuously around.

What if this was something like what happened with the Alpha pack? What if Annie was here to recruit Derek and Scott? What if she wanted to take them away from Beacon Hills? What if—

"Stiles?"

The teen was ripped from his thoughts once again. "Wha?"

"You haven't said anything for five minutes," the Sheriff said. "And that worries me. Because it means that you're thinking too hard. And when you're thinking too hard…"

He trails off, but Stiles knew what he meant. Whenever Stiles thought about something too long, it meant that he was either getting really ridiculous, or a really good plan was forming. However, as of that moment, Stiles and his father were pretty sure his thoughts were going in the direction of the first.

Annie sighed. "I'm pretty sure I can guess what you were thinking about," she said.

Stiles stared at her, slightly curious about the werewolf in front of him, but mostly scared for his friends.

"You were wondering about my pack right?"

The Sheriff's son nodded slowly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about them." Annie's eyes turned sad. "Hunters wiped them out three months ago."

Stiles didn't know what to say to that. He sort of understood what she went through: Allison and Aiden dying, Isaac and Ethan leaving. But losing your _entire_ pack? Only Derek would know what _that_ felt like.

"So…you're not going to try to take over Beacon Hills?" Stiles really wished that he sometimes had a filter between his brain and his mouth.

Annie scoffed, all grief gone. "Believe me, if I had the choice, I _wouldn't_ be back in Beacon Hills."

"Back?" inquired the Sheriff. "You were here before?"

The Stilinski men saw her jaw clench, but she didn't say anything.

_Okay, touchy subject,_ Stiles thought, filing a note in his mind to Google Annie Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Is later.

Stiles turned to his dad. "So, Pops. Why'd you pull me out of school?"

"Oh, right. I need you to take Annie to our house. Help her get set up in the guest bedroom. That'll be her room." The Sheriff turned to leave his office but Stiles stopped him.

"Dad, seriously? I have a date with Malia tonight! Plus, lacrosse practice after school!"

"I already called your coach and excused you from practice," Mr. Stilinski stated. "And you can tell Malia that she can come over and help."

"Okay, really? I don't need help unpacking," Annie said. "I'm sixteen, not four."

_Well, isn't she a bright ball of sunshine?_ Stiles exhales, giving in. He really wanted to Google her now. "Fine." He stares at his dad. "I'll help Annie. But only until it's time for my date."

"Fair enough." The Sheriff clasped his hand on his son's shoulder. "Thanks, Stiles."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Stiles breathed. He exited the office and picked up one of Annie's bags. "This way."

Annie followed Stiles out of the station to his Jeep, proceeding to toss her things into the back of the vehicle before climbing into the passenger seat. "So. Home?"


	3. Chapter 3

The drive to the Stilinski household was relatively silent, the only noise was the occasional bleep from Stiles' phone.

"Would you just answer the damn thing?" Annie growled.

Okay, so maybe the noises from the phone were more often than 'occasional'. Stiles dug into his pocket when the device rang again.

"Hey, Scotty!" he cried, forgetting for a second that the person next to him in the Jeep had super power hearing.

Stiles was mouthing an apology to Annie when his best friend answered.

"Stiles! Finally! Where the hell did you go?"

"Well, uh, if you wanna come over after practice, I'll show you why I left." Stiles glanced at Annie who was acting like her phone was the most important thing in the world, even though he knew she was listening in on the conversation.

"Actually I'm at your place now. Coach cancelled practice. Something about Greenberg getting into the equipment and ruining everything."

Stiles laughed. Of course, _Greenberg_. "All right. Okay then. Just…brace yourself, Scott."

"Why—" But Stiles didn't let his friend respond. He ended the call.

"So…" Annie's voice broke the short silence. "I guess I'm going to meet your friend now."

"Uh, yeah. That's Scott. He's practically my brother," Stiles explained. "Oh, he's also a werewolf. He's kind of the Alpha around here."

Annie reacted strangely to that, her nose crinkling up. "I thought Derek…nevermind."

"You know Derek?"

"Forget I said anything."

"He's still in town if you want to—"

"I said forget it!" She turned to stare out the window, but not before Stiles saw that her eyes were glowing red.

Stiles could definitely tell that this girl had her issues. And if she knew Derek, well…he might not need Google after all.

"Besides," Annie mumbled quietly enough that Stiles had to strain himself to hear her, "I know he's in town because I can smell him in your car."

Stiles was happy he didn't have to give a response to that because they had reached his house at that point. And there was Scott, leaning against his dirt bike, in the driveway. He watched as his best friend waved at him, then notice Annie, his eyes quickly flashing red. _Oh boy._

"Here we go," muttered Stiles.


	4. Chapter 4

"Stiles, what? Who—what the hell is another werewolf doing in your Jeep?" Scott demanded once his friend exited the said vehicle.

Stiles sighed. "She's the reason my dad called me out of school." He waved to Annie who slowly got out of the Jeep. "Scott, this is Annie. She's a foster kid my dad took in. Annie, this is my best friend, Scott McCall. Oh, also, you're both Alphas."

Scott and Annie stared at each other. Scott looked like he was debating whether or not he wanted to fight her off, while Annie acted as if she wanted to go crawl inside a hole and die.

"So where's your pack?" Scott asked, none-too-politely.

"Don't have one."

Scott looked like he wanted her to elaborate, but the glare in her eyes told him otherwise.

Annie turned to Stiles and said, "Well, your dad told you to help me unpack so, what are you still doing standing there like an idiot?"

Scott snickered, the tension between the wolves lessening a little. "Let me help. I can carry more than he can anyways."

"Tell me about. He grabbed my lightest bag and made me carry the rest of it," smirked Annie.

Stiles huffed. "Hey! I'm right here!"

"I know," the werewolves said together, reaching into the Jeep to grab a bag, and then proceeding to throw them at the human, who screeched and hopped away.

They all heard something break inside one of the bags, and Annie cursed, her smile fading as fast as it had appeared. "I really hope that that wasn't what I think it is," she muttered.

"And what would that be?" asked Scott.

"Something that belonged to my mother."

Stiles understood. Since Annie was going to be put into the foster system, it was most likely that her mother was dead, and he knew what it was like to accidentally break something that meant a lot to his mother. "Hey, we'll check it when we get inside, okay?" he said, with a sudden gentleness that earned him a raised eyebrow from Scott.

Annie nodded, carefully grabbing the bag and wincing when she heard a clanging from inside. "Sure."

The boys had helped her bring her stuff up the stairs when she froze in front of Stiles' room, sniffing.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a glance.

"What is it?" asked Stiles.

"Is this your room?" Annie's hand was hovering over the doorknob.

"Yeah, why?"

"Something doesn't smell right."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Can't we just get you unpacked so I can go out with my girlfriend?"

"No, she's right, Stiles," said Scott. "There's a new scent coming from your room."

Annie slowly opened the bedroom door and the three of them stepped in.

"God, who let a coyote in here?" she immediately exclaimed.

Stiles blushed. "Th-that would be Malia. She's kind of a were=coyote."

"Oh, fantastic." Annie continued moving throughout Stiles' room, sniffing different objects. When she got to the window, she stopped, turning to face the boys. "Scott, do you smell that?"

"It smells…familiar. Like something I haven't smelled before," he said, joining Annie at the window.

"That's because it should be if I can smell traces of Ethan and Aiden in here."

Recognition flooded Scott's features. "Ah, crap."

Before Stiles could ask what the heck had been in his room, there was a noise from the bedroom next to Stiles': the guest bedroom that would be Annie's.

"He's still here," the Alphas whispered together.

Stiles started to internally freak out, which he knew Scott and Annie could hear. There was a strange something inside his house that had been through his room and he had no idea who or what the hell it was. _But they know. They know who or what it is._

The werewolves slowly made their way back into the hallway to stop in front of the other door, Stiles close behind them. Scott swung open the door and the sight of the man sitting on the edge of the bed in front of them turned them to stone.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite little Alphas," the man said, his accent pinning their feet to the floor. "Oh, and look. Stiles is here, too."

The next word that came out of Scott's and Annie's mouths sent shivers down Stiles' spine:

"Deucalion."

**A/N: I really wasn't planning on bringing Deucalion into the series so soon, but it just kinda fit. I'm just hoping that it isn't too much.**

**I want to thank those who have followed and favorited (and reviewed!) You're all awesome!**

**Kisses, Rachel**


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, how _are_ my favorites?" the self-proclaimed 'Demon Wolf' asked.

No one answered. They just stared at someone they had hoped to never see again.

Deucalion ignored the fact that he was the only one who had said anything. "Annie, it's good to see you again." He laughed at his own joke, with the knowledge that he had gained his sight only months before. "Well, technically, see you for the first time."

Annie still said nothing, her jaw clenching.

"It's nice that you're going by a nickname now," Deucalion continued. "_Channing_ is just a mouthful."

The female wolf growled, taking a step towards the man on the bed, but Scott put a hand on her arm.

"_Channing Monroe_. There's a certain ring to it, don't you think? Your mother certainly put a lot of thought into it. Your father, too, right? Oh, wait. That's right. He's never been around. He never even showed up to your mother's funeral, did he?"

Scott wasn't able to hold Annie back this time. She lunged for the Demon Wolf who only laughed and shoved her back into Stiles. The two of them toppled out of the room.

"Please," said Deucalion. "I'm not here to cause a fight." He stared down at Annie. "You know what I'm here for."

"Like hell," she spat. "You've been trying for nine years."

Deucalion stood from the bed. "But this time it's different, isn't it? I'd ask Scott, but I'd clearly have to go through his pack again. But you, Annie. You have no one. And neither do I." He knelt before her where she was still sprawled on the floor with Stiles. "We're perfect for each other."

Annie broke his eye contact, muttering, "Go back to Hell where you belong."

Deucalion turned to leave, and before he disappeared, he said, "I'll be back."

* * *

**A/N: **Guys, I feel horrible. I'm so sorry about the long wait. I've had this chapter ready for almost a month and I'm only now posting it.

I'm hoping to be able to get the next chapter up soon!

Thanks for all of you who have stuck by "Secrets" so far!

You're awesome!

-Rachel


	6. Chapter 5-point-5

Stiles huffed, sitting up. "Well, if that wasn't very un-Terminator-esque."

Scott turned to Annie who was sitting huddled against the doorframe. "Okay. How does Deucalion know you?"

It took a couple of minutes, but when Annie looked up, her glowing red eyes were scared. "Let's just say that you're not the only one he's tried hard to get into his pack." Annie blinked and the red hue in her eyes faded into her normal blue. She quickly stood up, brushing the invisible dirt from her pants. "Well, enough excitement for today. I will see you two later. I have somewhere I need to be."

Annie was suddenly gone. It was like she had never been there, aside from her bags that were still in the hallway.

"Great," Stiles said, "now what do we do? Unpack for her without her?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't think she'd be very happy if we touched her stuff. That's her territory. She'd be pissed if someone, especially another Alpha went through her belongings. Let's just bring her bags in here and then she can unpack when she gets back from…wherever she went."

Stiles sighed. "Okay."

* * *

_Okay, yes. This is just a filler-chapter. Really, I couldn't figure out what to write afterwards. I'm working on the next chapter, which WILL be a lot longer than this one, and it's a Derek-centric chapter :) (PS: He runs into Annie!)_

_I know I always apologize for the huge breaks between postings, but usually it's just because I forget to write. _

_Kisses,_

_Rachel_


	7. Chapter 6

Derek didn't know why he was there; why he was at the wreckage of his childhood home. The town had finally torn it down. They'd flattened it, along with the good and bad memories of the place. But Derek had them. Derek had the memories tucked inside.

He pulled aside the fence that surrounded the site and stepped inside. He could easily picture the two story house where he'd spent sixteen years of his life.

He saw his mother and father coming home from the hospital after his youngest brother, Dallas, was born. Derek, Laura, Cora and their other brother Dawson had painted a "Welcome to the Pack" banner to welcome their littlest member home. What the Hale family hadn't known at the time, though, was that Dallas ended up not having any werewolf powers; the only one of Talia and Jeremy's children who was 100% human.

Derek remembered when Laura and Cora teamed up on him to play dress up with them. Dawson managed to get a picture of it, even if it was blurry because he was laughing so much. Derek's big brother ended up with five red marks across his shoulder that day.

Derek smiled sadly as memory after memory flooded his mind.

"Remembering better times?" a voice behind him said, startling the wolf.

He turned to see a face he thought he'd never see again. "A-Annie?"

The Alpha smiled. "Hey, Derek." Annie looked behind him at the house that is no more. "They finally tore it down, huh?"

Derek nodded slowly. "What are you doing here?"

Annie sighed. "Long story short: Hunters got my pack _again_ and so fricking Child Services thought that Beacon Hills would be a good place for me."

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry to hear about your pack, but why would they send you here?"

"Because they know that I have history here. Besides, they tracked down my father and found that he's currently living here." Annie's lips pressed into a hard line. "However, they failed to contact him, so I got shipped to the Sheriff's house."

The corner of Derek's mouth twitched up. "So you get to live with Stiles." It wasn't a question, and secretly, Derek felt bad for her. He'd had to put up with the hyperactive teen for two years now, but he's never had to live with him.

"He's an interesting character."

"That's one way to describe Stiles." Derek stared at the girl in front of him. The last time they had seen each other was a few weeks before the fire. She was the only one who had known about him and Kate, and she did _not_ trust her. Annie had been staying with his family after her mom was killed. Actually, now that he thought about it, Annie's original pack died a lot like his family had. "Do you know who killed your mom?" he blurted.

Annie's eyes flashed but before she could say anything, Derek realized what he had just said.

"Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Yes you did," she interrupted. "Didn't you ever wonder why I was so quick to not trust Kate?"

Derek opened his mouth then closed it right away. It was all coming together now. "You told me that you had recognized her scent…"

Annie nodded. "Because I remembered her scent from _my_ house fire."

"It was Kate."

"I hear she's dead now."

"Peter clawed her throat out. And then we set _him_ on fire, and I slashed his throat."

"Unfortunately I hear he's alive again. _But_ I hear that Cora's back from the dead."

"I found that out a few months ago, actually. Apparently she thought _I _was dead."

A laugh forced itself out of Annie's throat. "Who could kill a pretty face like yours?"

Derek smirked. "Thanks."

"I am sorry to hear about Laura, though. I got pretty messed up when that information reached my pack."

The smile across Derek's lips faded. He rubbed at the beard on his face. "That's what brought me back here. I don't know why I stayed, though, after I killed Peter. Things would have been a lot simpler."

If Derek _had_ returned to New York after Peter's death, he wouldn't have turned four teenagers. Erica and Boyd would still be alive; Jackson and Isaac would still be in town, all four _human_. Allison, who'd be alive, would still be having her complicated relationship with Scott. The Alpha pack never would have come. He never would have met Jennifer. Peter never would have been brought back. Derek would still be an Alpha.

But then he thought of the good that had happened because he stayed: he'd discovered another sibling of his was alive. He had actually started to make friends; to learn how to trust again. He had a pack again, even if this pack was the strangest he'd ever seen.

Sure, the bad things greatly outnumbered the good, but Derek hoped that wouldn't always be the case. He knew he needed some stability in his life again. He just had no idea of when that would come.

"A lot of things would be simpler if we had done something different," Annie said, interrupting Derek's thoughts.

"Hey, why are you here?"

Derek's sudden change in subject stunned the Alpha for a little.  
"I told you, Child Services—"

"I know why you're in Beacon Hills, Annie. I was asking why you're _here_. At my house."

"Oh. I was coming to see if I could retrieve something of mine. Well, my mother's. It would have been in your basement."

Derek thought for a moment. "Small red box? About this big? Had a spiral on it?" He held his hands in front of himself, the space between his hands no bigger than six inches.

Annie nodded.

"I think my mom moved it to our vault shortly after you left."

"Great. I don't know where that is."

"But I do. And I'll take you there. Tonight, though. Not in daylight."

"Okay. Tonight then."

* * *

_Yay! Hooray for long chapters! _

_As you could tell, I added a few members to the Hale family. _

_In my mind, here's the ages of the Hale children when the fire happened:_

_Dawson - 21_

_Laura - 18_

_Derek - 16_

_Cora - 11_

_Dallas - 9_

_I decided on all "D" names for the boys since the girl names rhymed. I wanted some kind of pattern for their names, too. I had also intended to have Laura be the oldest and Dawson and Derek really close in age when I remembered that the fire happened when Derek and Laura were at school. So I made Dawson the oldest (maybe he was home in Beacon Hills from college to visit his family). _

_Kisses, _

_Rachel _


	8. Chapter 7

"Stiles."

"…"

"Stiles?"

"…"

"Stiles!"

"…"

"STILES!"

"What? Geez!" Stiles looked up from the floor where'd he'd been startled out of his desk chair. "Oh, uh…hi, Malia."

Said-girlfriend was standing over him, hands on her hips. "You ready?"

"For what?"

Malia rolled her eyes. "Our date?"

Stiles mulled those words over in his head for a minute. Then his eyes lit up. "Oh! Right! Date!"

"You forgot, didn't you?" The coyote didn't look impressed.

"Technically no. I didn't forget about it today, but I kind of lost track of time…" Stiles glanced at his computer on his desk where'd he'd been researching his new house guest.

"What are you looking up now?" Malia sat in the chair before Stiles had a chance to say anything. "_'Seattle Family Dies in House Fire, Leaving Young Girl Behind'_," she reads. "Why are you looking at this article?"

Stiles pushed himself to sit on the edge of his bed. "Because. That 'young girl' is here in Beacon Hills. She's a werewolf and she happens to be living here now."

Malia turned herself around so she could face her boyfriend. "So what happened to her?"

"It was a lot like what happened to the Hale's, actually," Stiles said. "The fire happened when the whole pack was inside. It said that several people made it out of the house, but only one survived, Annie. She was eight at the time."

"And how old is she now?"

"I think she said she was seventeen."

"So," Malia leaned forward in the chair, "basically this happened around the time that Derek's family was killed."

"Actually, I think it was a couple months before the Hale fire." Stiles scrambled up to check the date on the article. "Yep. March of 2005. The Hale fire was September of that year."

Malia scrolled through the piece. "Stiles, look!"

The coyote had found a picture that had been included. It showed a small girl wrapped in a blanket who was wrapped in the arms of a tall, dark-haired woman. Neither were looking at the camera, rather, they chose to stare at the many body bags that were blurred in the background of the photograph. The caption under the picture read, '_Channing Monroe, and family-friend, Talia Hale, look on as each victim of the fire is identified._'

"That's Derek's mom!"

"Well," Stiles exhaled, "she said she knew Derek."

"Listen to this: '_Channing Monroe, aged 8, was the only one to survive this horrifying tragedy. Victims included her mother, younger sister, and countless other relatives. "Annie" will live with friends of the family down in the small town of Beacon Hills in California while recovering from this_,'" read Malia. She paused a moment, skimming the article, and then continued, "'_The fire was originally declared an electrical mishap, until authorities discovered that the doors and windows had been sealed shut. This case has officially been labeled as arson and massacre. Police have no suspects._' I'll bet you that this was Kate."

Stiles nodded slowly. "It sure sounds like it was."

Stiles' mind was spinning. No wonder Annie seemed to be even more broody than Derek had. Because putting two-and-two together, Annie had lost her pack _twice_. First to a house fire, and next to hunters.

He only hoped that her bad-luck streak with packs had stopped when she arrived in Beacon Hills that afternoon.

He didn't hope as much as he should have.

**A/N: Wow. Three chapters within two weeks. Awesome :)**

**This is un-Beta'd. All my stories are purely me and my own mistakes. **

**It took me a while to get this chapter started. I think I started and re-started it about five times. I couldn't figure out how to transition back to Stiles, but I think I did okay :)**

**Enjoy :D**


	9. Chapter 8

Evening found Derek and Annie outside the Beacon Hills High School sign.

"Your vault's under the high school?" Annie didn't sound impressed as Derek unlocked it, the sign rotating ninety degrees.

Derek shrugged. "The vault was here first." He waved her down the stairs. "Ladies first."

"So who's able to open this thing?" she asked, descending into the darkness below.

"Me, Peter, Cora and Malia." Derek followed closely behind.

"Malia? The coyote?"

"Who also happens to be Peter's daughter."

Annie paused on the stairs, turning to stare at Derek, one eyebrow higher than the other. "Peter has a kid?"

"That he didn't know about until a few weeks ago. She only recently found out herself. She wasn't too happy that we all knew and she didn't, but she got over it."

"Your uncle fathered a coyote," Annie scoffed, her tone was as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Leave it to Peter." She jumped down the rest of the stairs, landing soundlessly on the ground.

Annie whistled. "Damn. There's a lot of stuff down here."

"The Hale's were once a big family. We've collected many things through the years. Unfortunately, a lot of things were also lost in the fire."

They started skimming the shelves for the red box Annie was searching for.

"I think," Derek said, interrupting the silence that had overcome them, "I think the last time I was down here, I noticed your mom's box next to the triskelion my mom used to train out-of-control Betas with."

"The tiny, useless thing Talia used after my family's fire?" asked Annie.

"Hey!" Derek was offended. His mom and Peter had to have him use that triskele several times growing up, especially after what had happened to Paige.

"Well, sorry. It didn't exactly work for me."

"I remember." And he did. Derek had had five red scratches across his chest for a week at one point during Annie's training when he was aiding his mother. She was newly an Alpha, only at eight years old, and Talia was helping her. Or at least trying to. Annie was a born werewolf so she had had better control, but she had just lost her _entire_ pack, and with them, her control.

Silence spread throughout the vault again.

Until, "Derek!"

The Beta immediately appeared at Annie's side. "You found it?"

"Well…sort of." Annie had located the box that contained the triskele, however, the place where the red box should have been, only a rectangle left in the dust remained. "It's not here."

Derek dragged his finger through the dust. "It's been moved recently. But I haven't been down here in years."

"Looking for this?" Behind Derek and Annie, a figure they hadn't noticed before emerged from the shadows, the red box in his hands. "If it isn't Little Orphan Annie. Long time, no see."

"Sorry, Peter," Annie spat, "you're no Daddy Warbucks."

"Good, because I'm not looking to adopt." Peter spun the box in his hands, its contents clearly being shuffled around.

"Because as I hear it, you already have a child."

"Well, well, aren't you well informed. Now, inform me: what's in this box?"

Red flashed across Annie's eyes. "Give it to me and I'll show you."

"Now, this must be some blood thing, because I've tried everything to get this open…and nothing."

"That's because it _is_ a blood thing, but not a Hale thing. Give it."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "First, you must do something for me."

"I already have to deal with Deucalion. Do I really have to deal with you, too?"

The Hales were surprised by this, as if neither of them knew that Deucalion was in Beacon Hills.

Turns out, they didn't.

"Deucalion's back?" asked Derek.

Annie nodded. "He was a part of my welcoming committee. He still wants me in his pack."

Peter's eyes narrowed. "He probably wants to build it up again now that only one of his original 'perfect pack' is alive, except that he's now a Beta."

"Why doesn't he just ask _you_?" Annie's eyes turned cold. "I know how you've always wanted to be an Alpha. Maybe you can find one _outside of Beacon Hills_ to slaughter, and _not_ your family." The last sentence finished in a growl.

Peter took a step back. "You've grown up, Annie."

"It's been nine years, Peter. A lot can happen in nine years."

He tossed the red box towards his nephew, who caught it easily. "I'll leave you alone, _if_ you help me find someone. Rumor has it that you know this person."

Annie took the box from Derek. "And who might that be?"

"They're called the 'Desert Wolf.'"

"You want me to find a coyote, huh? What, is she the mother of your daughter?" Annie asked sarcastically. When she noticed the raised eyebrows of the Hales and that they hadn't said anything, realization hit her. "Oh, _oh._ She _is_ Malia's mom. Only you don't know who she is."

"My sister took the memory of her from me," Peter said. "I would like to find her."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, Pete. Sure, I know the 'Desert Wolf' but it doesn't mean I know her face. I may know a person who knows a person who knows a person who knows her, and I might have met her a couple times, but she always took the memory of her identity away from me. I have no idea what she looks like, what she sounds like, or what she smells like." Annie glanced at Derek before fully turning towards Peter. "I wish I could help you, but it seems like I'm unable to. Sorry for the bad luck. Rumor has it, that that kind of luck finds you quite easily."

Peter smirked, as if he had a secret the other two didn't know. But knowing him, that was probably true.

Annie took a step towards the vault's exit then paused. "Okay, look. I really don't want to cause trouble here, so if I find something about the Desert Wolf, I'll tell Derek and then he can decide if he wants to share with you or not."

"What, hey!" Derek was offended.

Peter contemplated this. "Okay, deal. But what's in the box?"

Annie shrugged. "Heck, if I know. I just know whatever's in here was really special to her."

Derek and Annie left the vault, Peter staying behind.

"You do know what's in that box, don't you?" whispered Derek, when they were a safe enough distance from his uncle.

"Of course I do, but did you think I'd tell _him_?" Annie hissed back. They stopped next to Derek's vehicle. She extended a claw then traced the spiral with it. There was a 'pop' and the lid opened. Inside, were five werewolf claws.

"Are those your mom's?"

"Grandmother's. My mom's are back at the Sheriff's. But she told me that when she died, she wanted hers with her mothers. I don't know why, but I think she wants mine to join theirs when I die." Annie shrugged. "It was kind of a tradition with my family to keep the former Alpha's claws after their passing."

Derek was tempted to ask Annie how she'd gotten her mother's claws, but decided against it. He knew how touchy that subject still was for her. He'd wait until later to ask what really had happened that night.

Annie shut the box and placed it in Derek's car. "So. Want to take me back home? I assume the Sheriff might be freaking out since I'm not there and it's so late. He knows I kind of have a reputation of bending the rules a little."

Derek raised his eyebrow, something Annie had forgotten was a Hale trait. "A little, Annie?"

"What? It's not my fault all those schools kicked me out!" She paused. "Okay, so maybe biting that one principal was my fault, but the others weren't!"

Derek's mouth dropped. "You turned your principal?!"

"Are you kidding me?! No! I didn't 'wolf out' on him! I bit him with my human teeth! Oh, don't give me that look, Derek. He was asking for it!"

"That's still no excuse to bite someone, Annie."

"Would you just drive me home, please?" Annie whined. "I would run there myself but I really have no idea where their house is."

Derek shook his head, chuckling. "Yeah, come on. Get in."

"Thanks, Derek. You're the best."


	10. Chapter 9

Annie was right: the Sheriff was indeed worried about where she was. He was waiting for her when she opened the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded.

"Out."

"Out where?"

"With a friend." Annie carefully closed the door behind her. She wasn't exactly used to adults caring about her; she never ended up with homes like this when she was in the system.

The Sheriff crossed his arms over his chest. "Now who would you know here?"

"Dad! That was Derek's car that just left!" Stiles called from the other room.

"You know the Hale's?"

"I told you that I'd been here before." Annie passed the Sheriff to venture further into the house. She could see Stiles sitting on the couch with his computer perched in his lap. "Where's Malia?"

Stiles bent his head back so he could look at Annie. "She left a little while ago. Why?"

Annie shrugged. "No reason. Except that I just re-met her father."

Stiles pushed his computer away and turned around fully. "You ran into Peter?"

"He kinda followed me and Derek. I had to talk my way into getting this." She held up the red box.

"What's that?" The Sheriff and his son looked a little too eager to know the contents.  
"Nothing of your concern. Look, I'm going to go upstairs and unpack since I didn't do it earlier." Annie looked Stiles in the eye. "But if you start talking about me, I will hear everything. Besides, I know where you sleep now," she threatened, smirking.

Stiles swallowed, throwing a thumbs-up into the air.

Annie could hear Stiles clicking away on his laptop again as she headed up the stairs. The Sheriff moved towards the living room where his son was, then she blocked out all noises from down below.

She still smelled a hint of Deucalion in her room, but opening her bags helped to eliminate the scent. She welcomed the smell of 'home' that flowed out of her luggage.

Annie first shuffled through a bag until she located a small wooden container: a container that held her mother's claws. She added those to the ones in the red box then set that box on the end table next to her bed. She changed the sheets and pillowcases on her bed, stocked the dressers with her clothes, set her computer on the desk, until the room was how she liked it.

Then she searched the bags for what had been broken earlier. Annie realized, as her hand was sliced open by a piece of glass, that it was a picture frame her mother had given her. Her hand knit itself together while she stared at the photo beneath the shattered glass.

There were two photos side by side, one of her mother's pack, and the other was hers. The photographers had used a special kind of camera so the flash wouldn't make the wolves' eyes blind the device. The first photo had been taken a mere month before the house fire; the second after the last Beta had been added to the pack six weeks before _their_ massacre.

She brushed the broken glass away from her mother's face, who now would have been mistaken as Annie's twin.

The Alpha dumped the fragments into the waste basket by her bed, wishing that she had never been born into a family of werewolves; that her family had been human. Sure, she'd miss the increased speed, sense of smell and hearing, but at least she wouldn't be hunted every second of every day.

Annie remembered all too well the lunar ellipse that occurred six months before when she did indeed become human for fifteen minutes. It had felt great. That is, until hunters stormed the building her pack had been living in and fired round after round into each werewolf. Even though her wounds had healed, Annie herself had been hit at least twenty times. She truly wished that she had died along with them, hating the fact that she had been the lone survivor of not one, but _two_, bloodbaths.

The Alpha had vowed that she would never take another pack under her wing unless absolutely necessary. She didn't care if her Alpha status slipped down to Omega. She didn't—

"Annie?" A knock on her door brought her back to reality.

"Yeah?" Her voice cracked, surprising her. She hadn't realized she'd been crying.

The door opened and the Sheriff popped is head in. "We've got some pizza—are you okay?"

Annie wiped her cheeks, placing the picture frame next to the red box. "Yeah. I'm fine."

The Sheriff nodded slowly. "Anyways, Stiles let me order a pizza for dinner since it's your first night here. The leftovers are in the fridge that I can heat up for you if you're hungry."

"Thanks, but, uh, I had dinner at Derek's."

Mr. Stilinski entered the room, closing the door behind him. He sat on the bed next to Annie. "Listen, I should probably tell you that your dad's in town."

Annie stopped breathing. She never talked about her dad. Ever.

"Hey, relax." The Sheriff put his arm around her shoulders. "Your birth certificate was included with your criminal record, Annie. It gave me quite a shock when I saw who your father was. But believe me, I haven't mentioned anything to him. And I won't. Not unless you give me the permission to, okay?"

"Okay." Her voice still sounded a little too tight.

"You should probably tell your _brother_ soon, though. Before things get ugly."

"Things will get ugly anyways. Especially when he finds out that dad cheated on his mom with mine." Annie shrugged the Sheriff's arm off. "Mom told me she wasn't too happy when she found out he was married."

"What _did_ your mom tell you about him?"

"Not much. Only that she was happy that I turned out to look _nothing_ like him. And that she _was_ going to tell him that they had a daughter, but when she had stopped by the house, she could hear him talking to his wife. And she was saying that _she_ was pregnant." Annie sighed. "Mom said she regretted never telling him, regretted what she did with a married man, but she never regretted having me."

"So you're older than your brother?"

"Yeah. Eight or so months, I think."

"Oh, boy. It's like a soap opera has taken over Beacon Hills instead of the normal horror film."

Annie huffed a laugh. "No kidding."

The Sheriff grinned. "You are _so_ lucky that I answered Melissa's phone when your probation officer called about sending you here."

"Yeah, about that, why _did_ you answer her phone?" Annie shifted on the bed so she was sitting cross-legged facing the Sheriff. "That call was intended for my dad."

"Uh…" A blush quickly spread over his face. "I might be dating her…"

"You _might_ be dating the mother of my half-brother? This soap opera keeps getting better and better!"

Annie and the Sheriff's conversation continued for a while after that, but what was unknown to both of them was the fact that a certain teenager had followed his father up the stairs and heard every word they had just spoken.

**A/N: I have sooo much more time to write now! Yippee! **

**I also have the next chapter done but I'm not going to post it yet. Maybe tomorrow or Saturday :)**


	11. Chapter 10

Stiles couldn't sleep that night. There were too many thoughts spinning around in his head. He couldn't believe—didn't _want_ to believe—what he'd overheard. Once he'd found out that Annie could be his best friend's half-sister, he bolted back downstairs as quietly and carefully as he could. He was immensely happy—and lucky—that only his father had joined him down there or Stiles would have been a dead man. His pulse was too high and it would have alerted Annie to something right away.

He didn't know what to do with the information he had just collected. Suddenly, memories of the day Melissa kicked Agent McCall out of the house flooded into his mind.

Words he hadn't understood then became crystal clear:

_"Why did you never tell me about her?! About _them_?!" Melissa hollered. She shoved a newspaper in her husband's face. _

_"I never knew that there was a 'them'! Rue never told me!"_

_"Dammit, Raf!" Melissa was in tears. "Look! The kid is eight! She's older than Scott! _Older_!"_

_"So? Who says she's mine?"_

_"This does!" She held up another piece of paper. _

_"Damn."_

So it _was_ true. Annie was Scott's sister. Correction, _older_ sister.

Now, Stiles had a tough decision: tell Annie that he knows, or tell Scott.

Turns out, he didn't have much time to think about that because his door was slowly opening and Annie popped in.

"Okay, what's up?" she demanded. "Your heart's been like a stampede ever since I got home. Spill."

"Busted," Stiles muttered, sitting up. "Um…I might have overheard you and my dad talking."

Annie swore. "Look. You _can't_ tell him. Not yet."

"So I can't tell my best friend that he has a sister?"

She flinched at the word. "No."

"Annie, I can't keep secrets away from him! Scott knows if I'm hiding something!"

Annie came forward and took a seat on the foot of Stiles' bed. She placed a hand where she knew his foot was. "Please, Stiles," she begged. "Please don't tell him until his parents know."

Stiles let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll try my best."

The Alpha smiled a small, genuine smile. "Thank you."

Keeping a secret like this from your best friend is no easy feat. Especially when said secret is living in your house. However, Stiles was able to not tell anyone for a week. Then all hell broke loose.

**How about I do this: I will write during the week (since I have time now) and then post on the weekends. Does that sound like a good plan? I think it does :)**

**And I'm also very happy that the description of the fic is coming into show :D**

**Also, "Secrets" almost has as many views as my "Batman and...Castiel?" OHMYWORD guys! You're awesome!**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm aware of how long it's been. Sorry. I'll just play it off as I was keeping you in suspense. But truthfully, I was at a roadblock. I'm wanting to wrap this story up so I can start on the next one, but since I'd added three storylines into this one (when I'd intended just one per story) I want to wrap up at least one, maybe two, before this is done. **

**So, that being said, enjoy :)**

The week started off awesome. Annie had started attending Beacon Hills High School as a junior and she was fitting in amazingly. She had been introduced to the rest of the pack (aka Lydia, Kira, Malia, and Danny). Surprisingly, she'd hit it off with Lydia quite well, but tended to avoid Kira and Malia. When Stiles asked her about it, she replied, "I've never had a good encounter with a fox or a coyote."

No one had to skip class for any reason. Neither Peter nor Deucalion had bugged the pack. Stiles and Scott had lacrosse practice after school while their girlfriends did homework and watched. Annie hung out with either Derek or Lydia. All was nice.

Until Friday's lacrosse game.

The Sheriff had taken the night off so he could attend the game, and he convinced Annie to come along. She agreed only when Lydia said that she was going as well.

They spotted Melissa on the bleachers and went to sit next to her. Well, the Sheriff sat next to her, Lydia and Annie sat behind them. Soon, Kira and Malia joined them, Malia sitting next to Lydia, Kira next to Annie. (That was fine. Annie liked Kira better than Malia).

It was fifteen minutes into the game, the Cyclones behind by one point, when movement in the woods across the field caught Annie's eye. But before she could get up to investigate, a voice interrupted:

"Can I join you guys?"

Annie froze, staring at the man who was standing next to them. His eyes scanned their group only to pause on the Alpha, his mouth immediately dropping.

"I—what?!"

"Raf, what are you doing here?" asked Melissa. When he didn't answer, Melissa noticed the way he and Annie were staring at each other. "Wait, do you two know each other?"

"No," Annie said. "We don't." She stood, starting to climb over people to get out of the stands. "That's the point. We've never met." The Alpha turned and headed towards the school.

Agent McCall turned back to face Melissa and the Sheriff. "She looks just like her mother," he whispered, before following her.

"Wait, wait!" The Sheriff took off after them, hoping to get in between before an argument broke out.

They found Annie perched on top of Stiles' Jeep. She stared down at the two men before her.

"So you're Channing?" Agent McCall asked.

"I'm not called that anymore. It's Annie."

"Annie, sorry. It's good to meet you, finally."

Annie rolled her eyes. "I guess."

"What are you doing here?"

"Mom's dead."

Agent McCall glanced at his feet. "I'm aware. Child Services called me."

Annie stared at him. "And you turned me away." It wasn't a question.

"I wasn't going to. But then Melissa found out. She kicked me out. I lost her and my son. I wasn't in shape to look after my daughter."

"That's not the only reason she kicked you out," the Sheriff muttered.

"Nobody asked you," Agent McCall snapped.

"Listen, _Dad_," said Annie, slipping down the front of the Jeep, "I'm going to give you two days to tell _Scott_ the truth about you and me, or I'm going to let Stiles tell him."

Agent McCall and the Sheriff's mouths dropped.

"My son knows?"

"He heard us talking a week ago, Sheriff. He's been doing really well at keeping this from Scott."

"Keeping what from me?"

The three had been in such a 'deep conversation' that Annie hadn't been aware of her surroundings; that she didn't hear Scott and Stiles approaching.

The Sheriff and Agent McCall swore under their breath, which, of course, the werewolves heard. Scott was staring at his father, waiting for an answer.

Annie glanced between Scott and the FBI agent, before saying, "So, you gonna tell him, or should I, Daddio?"

**A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnnn :) **


	13. Chapter 12

Scott couldn't believe his ears. He didn't _want _to believe what he'd just heard. "Dad? What is she talking about? Why'd she just call _you_ dad? _Please_ tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means."

Annie looked at Agent McCall as if she was expecting him to explain. When he didn't, she huffed and turned to the True Alpha. "Okay, listen, Scott. Long before you were even thought of, your dad over there got drunk one night and had a one night stand with my mom. As a result, I was born."

Scott shook his head slowly. "No…"

"Scott, wait, let me explain!" Agent McCall said as his son was starting to back away.

"Isn't this a beautiful family reunion," a voice said, its owner coming out from behind Stiles' Jeep. "Unfortunately, it isn't a happy one."

"Deucalion," Annie groaned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The Sheriff's hand covered his gun, recognizing the name, but not the person.

"I came to tell you goodbye, for now," Deucalion said. "I'll be back in town in a few months for the answer to a question you already know."

"You already know my answer, Duke. It's always the same answer."

"Perhaps." The Demon Wolf nodded to the Sheriff and Agent McCall. Then he turned to Scott and Stiles. "Don't be mad at Annie, Scott. It's not her fault that she's your sister. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at your father. He's the one who messed up."

"Okay, mister," Agent McCall stepped forward, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Deucalion fixed his ice cold stare on the FBI agent. "Someone whose bad side you do _not_ want to be on."

"Just leave, Duke. We don't want you here."

"Fine. I'm gone. I'll see you in a few months' time, Annie!" And then it was like he hadn't been there at all. Well, aside from Agent McCall's confused expression.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Someone not important," answered Annie. "What's important is the fact that your son is still backing away."

Scott froze several more feet away from the group, slightly ashamed that he had been caught.

Agent McCall let out a big breath. "Scott, please, can we talk?"

"I thought you came back to tell me the truth, Dad," Scott snapped. "Does mom know about her? You told me about me falling down the stairs during one of your arguments. Is this what you were fighting about?"

"It was," Stiles said, stepping towards his best friend.

Scott's face fell; he felt like he had been betrayed. "You knew?!"

"I had heard the argument, Scott. You remember, I was over that night. But I never understood the argument until now."

"Did you know about Annie? Who she was?"

Stiles nodded. "I found out last week. I wanted to tell you, Scott, I did. But—"

"I wouldn't let him," interrupted Annie. "I told him to wait until either I or our dad told you. I'm actually impressed that he didn't tell you." Annie flashed Stiles a small smile, which he returned.

"I just…I can't deal with this right now. I've got a lacrosse game to get to. Come on, Stiles."

They left, leaving Annie, Agent McCall and the Sheriff.

"Well that went well," the Sheriff said. The looks on Annie and Agent McCall's faces, however, said otherwise. "What?"

**A/N: Bye, bye, Deucalion (for now).**


	14. Chapter 13

Despite what had happened during halftime at the lacrosse game, the Beacon Hills Cyclones won.

When his friends and family had come onto the field to congratulate him, Scott wouldn't even acknowledge his dad or Annie.

"Scott, what's wrong?" Kira asked.  
"Dad never told me he had a daughter," Scott said. He looked straight at Annie. "And Annie never told me that that was her."

This was news to the rest of the group. They stared at Agent McCall and Annie.

"But you look nothing alike," Malia pointed out.

"Which is something my mother always told me had been a good thing," said Annie. "Unfortunately I look just like my mother, which is why my dad recognized me so quickly." The Alpha stared Malia in the eye. "Besides, daughters don't always have to resemble their fathers."

Malia growled, stepping forward, before Stiles grabbed her arm.

"However, it looks as if personality was passed down," Annie hissed.

"That's it." Malia charged her, only to be easily shoved away.

"You've got nothing on me, _coyote_," laughed Annie. "Try that again, and the next time you hit the ground, it won't be in one piece."

"Okay, let's just settle down," said Scott.

Everyone looked at him, shocked. Not two minutes ago he was freaking out about the fact that his best friend's new house mate is his sister, and now he was trying to stop a fight between said sister and his best friend's girlfriend.

The True Alpha rolled his eyes. "Look, yes, I'm pissed. But it's nothing I can stop. Things happen, I get it. Sure, I'm not happy that my dad cheated on my mom. But we liked Annie before we found out the truth, and we still like Annie." Scott turned towards her and held out his hand. "Welcome to the family."

Annie took his hand and shook it, a small smile across her lips. "Thanks."

"We should celebrate," Lydia suggested.

"Celebrate the win?" asked Kira.

"That and other things. Everyone come to the lakehouse for the weekend?" The redhead eyed the parents, asking for permission. When they nodded she grinned. "It's settled then."

As the teens walked away to their vehicles, the werewolves, kitsune and coyote didn't miss the "Why is Malia nicknamed 'coyote'?" that Agent McCall whispered to the Sheriff and Melissa.

Annie glanced at Scott, hissing, "He doesn't know?!"

Scott shrugged. "I haven't had a reason to tell him!"

Annie pulled him to a stop, urging the others to continue when they paused, too. "Well, now that the secret of horrible parenting skills is out, the fact that _both_ of his children are werewolves might be a little hard to hide. And not to mention that we're both _Alphas_."

Scott grimaced. He knew Annie was right, he just couldn't help but think of when his mom and the Sheriff found out. Neither went over too well; his mom was terrified of him and the Sheriff thought they were going insane. Of course, being almost ritually sacrificed to a tree helped with the not-crazy situation.

Stiles hopped up to the two of them slinging his arms around their shoulders. He seemed completely at ease. "Come on, slowpokes! Let's party!"

The Alphas allowed themselves to be pulled away to Stiles' Jeep.

**A/N: It seems to me that I'm making up for lost time, since it had been two weeks between posting chapters 10 and 11 and now I've posted three chapters in three days. Whoa. You guys are lucky :P**

**A/N 2: okay, I've been asked when this story takes place in the Teen Wolf timeline. "Secrets" starts a few weeks after season three ends. The way I see it (in this story) is that Derek's 'dream' about Kate shooting him and the hunters was just that: a dream. So, no Kate, no Meredith, no Liam (unless I mention him in passing, but he won't become a main character.)**

**I also want to say that I have nothing against Malia, just that Annie does. **


End file.
